Historic Preservation Plan

In celebration, the Concord Historical Commission and Planning Division staff are embarking on a year-long planning process to develop a community-wide Historic Preservation Plan for the 21st century. The Concord Historic Districts Commission will be a key partner. 

The plan will support the integrated, cross-disciplinary approach of Concord's community plan Envision Concord, Bridge to 2030 (2018) as well as national goals of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission which is "charged with orchestrating the largest and most inclusive observance in our nation's history" in 2025 and 2026.

In the two decades since the last Concord preservation planning document was written, dramatic societal and environmental changes helped reshape the approach to and practice of preservation. National preservation priorities include: 1) expanding the narrative to reflect a more complete and inclusive American story relevant to all; 2) supporting sustainability while preparing for and responding to climate change and extreme weather events; 3) addressing the housing crisis; and 4) encouraging economic vitality in the wake of the global pandemic. 

We are so pleased to be working with Heritage Strategies, LLC, a preservation consulting team that has developed plans for Scenic Byways, communities, National Heritage Areas, and World Heritage Sites across the country, from Niagara Falls to San Antonio. Nearby, they have worked with Freedom's Way National Heritage Area and the Towns of Sudbury, Lenox, Falmouth and others. 

The project has kicked off with background research in Concord’s historic resources, programs, policies, partners and stakeholders. There will be ample opportunity for direct public input through stakeholder meetings and public forums to be hosted by the CHC, the Town, and the consultants from Heritage Strategies in the coming months. Through robust community and stakeholder outreach in early 2024, recommendations and a final report will be completed in late 2024. 

Many thanks to the current CHC Chair Alan Bogosian, CHC Vice Chair Melissa Saalfield, HDC Chair Luis Berrizbeitia and HDC Vice Chair Melinda Shumway for their leadership on this project and to each one of the hundreds of commission members who have collectively preserved Concord’s unique power of place and national treasures over decades. We also extend thanks to the Concord Community Preservation Committee and the Massachusetts Historical Commission for their support of this project.

For more information and to stay up to date as the project evolves, see the dedicated webpage:https://www.concordma.gov/3479/Historic-Preservation-Plan-Project

To receive an email notification about upcoming events, workshops, and more, go to the Town’s webpage and sign up under Notify Me for Historic Preservation Plan Project.